New Games
New release roundup: Hill Climb Racing 3, Monopoly Go Chat, Angry Birds Match World, and more
We highlight the latest new games that have broken cover over the past week
Busted
Supercell will shut down Squad Busters next year
Decision marks the first time ever the famous Finnish studio has closed a live game
Revved Up
"We kind of forgot that we're a game developer": Fingersoft's journey to Hill Climb Racing 3
Chief growth officer Daniel Rantala gives us the lowdown on the series' history and where the studio is headed for its future
Latest
Game Closure
Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen on the "bold" decision to close Squad Busters
Paananen labelled the move “even bolder” than launching the game
Pgc Aqaba
PGC Aqaba 2025 schedule revealed
Master the MENA market with these eight conference tracks at PGC Aqaba
Patents
Japan rejects Nintendo’s attempt to patent the creature-capturing mechanic found in Pokémon
The rejection followed a third-party submission of prior art that claimed Nintendo’s filing “lacked an inventive step”
New Studio
Fall Guys veterans form new UK studio Panic Stations to create physics-based co-op games
The six-member team plans to release multiple titles each year, with their first project reveal coming soon
Expansions
Xsolla becomes resident of Azerbaijan’s Technopark as it plots local industry investment
The move strengthens Azerbaijan’s digital ecosystem with Xsolla’s global games commerce platform
Major Shift
Google Play injunction can "transform Android game economics"
Tech giant forced to allow alternative payment systems in the US until 2027 under court ruling in Epic Games case
Editor's Picks
Pgc Aqaba
Pocket Gamer Connects Aqaba agenda reveal
Discover the conference agenda connecting you with the world’s fastest growing games sectors, November 8th and 9th
Revved Up
"We kind of forgot that we're a game developer": Fingersoft's journey to Hill Climb Racing 3
Chief growth officer Daniel Rantala gives us the lowdown on the series' history and where the studio is headed for its future
Pocket Power
Pokémon TCG Pocket dethrones Pokémon Go as it celebrates first anniversary and $1.3bn
The digital card game had the most lucrative first year of any mobile Pokémon game
Opinion
When you are responsible for driving revenue, you quickly learn that every small detail matters.
Božo Janković on how small in-game changes led to big surprises in ad performance
To stress, the DFA isn’t even a draft law yet - it’s the beginning of the process, and there’s still time to respond to the consultation.
Celia Pontin on the the Digital Fairness Act
#MENA
Marvellous Mena
Gbrossoft CEO on creative resilience and African gaming
"The key lies in incentivising games and building awareness among Africa’s young and tech-savvy population"
Buyout Concerns
CWA urges federal review of $55bn PIF-led EA buyout
CWA President Claude Cummings Jr warned the deal could harm workers, consumers, and the wider US games industry
New Offerings
Saudi Arabia launches Riyadh Season-themed entertainment experiences on Roblox
Developed with UGC creator The Gang, the experience brings Boulevard City and Boulevard World to life in Roblox
Make-a-wish
Steer Studios joins Make-A-Wish International’s Infinite Wishes Initiative to help grant wishes for children
Donations were unlocked through player activity in Steer’s debut mobile game Grunt Rush
Industry Voices
Crush & Tell
Crush & Tell: Candy Crush’s behind-the-scenes series will explore game design and development
Candy Crush VP of marketing Luken Aragon gives the scoop on King’s series premiering today
Aurora
Diversity and collaboration are what make games engaging and meaningful
Sari Latvala on building games based on different viewpoints and mutual understanding
Aurora
How diversity is one of the games industry’s best features
Suvi Latva on her passion for the industry and working towards the common goal of making better games
Unreal Mobile Games
How does mobile development fit into the overall product strategy for Unreal Engine?
Find out how Epic Games is making mobile a fundamental part of Unreal Engine's future - and what the future holds for mobile games in UE5
Market Overview
Niko Partners: Southeast Asia's games market forecast to hit $6.47 billion in 2029
Niko Partners' Darang Candra provides an overview of the region's games sector
#Pocket Gamer Connects
Diamond Sponsor
GeeMee shines as diamond sponsor of the Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Korea
Leading ad tech company GeeMee expands its global footprint, powering the future of game monetisation at the debut Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Korea.
Pgc Aqaba
Meet the sponsors at Pocket Gamer Connects Aqaba
Connect with the outstanding companies powering the next b2b games event in MENA, November 8th-9th
Pgc London 2026
First speakers announced for PGC London 2026
Introducing the first of over 280 speakers coming to PG Connects London 2026
Southeast Asia
"Southeast Asia could become one of the most exciting centres for game development and esports"
Garena Online senior director of game operations Krit Pattanateacha dives deep into the state of the SEA games industry
Deals, Mergers & Acquisitions
Company Buyout
AppsFlyer reportedly nearing a $3bn buyout
Four investment funds have entered the final bidding stage
Investment News
Sensor Tower secures new investment for generative AI insights
Market intelligence firm aims to fuel its genAI ambitions with new capital
New Partnerships
Sega signs MoU with Media City Qatar to tailor games for Arab audiences
The partnership will support local talent, production, and Arabic localisation across Sega’s global titles
New Partnerships
Stability AI and EA partner to co-develop generative AI tools for game creation
The collaboration aims to improve creative workflows, enabling faster prototyping and visual storytelling
New Partnerships
Gadsme teams up with Zynga to bring immersive in-game ads to select titles
The integration blends ads into gameplay while supporting engagement and revenue
Funding News
Istanbul-based Pax Animi Games raises $250,000 to expand mobile operations
The studio will use the funds to scale its titles, enter new markets, and enhance its tech stack
Funding For Games
Creative Wales Game Development Fund awards $771,000 to 12 studios
The initiative is part of Creative Wales’ broader support for the sector, alongside its £850,000 Scale Up Fund
Jobs News
Layoff News
Amazon to cut around 14,000 corporate jobs including roles in its games division
Tech giant claims it wants to operate like the world's largest startup as it axes staff
Layoff News
Report: Amazon plans to cut up to 30,000 corporate jobs
The layoffs will affect around 10% of corporate staff across HR, operations, devices, and AWS
Studio Closure
Netflix shuts down Boss Fight studio behind Squid Game Unleashed
Both Netflix Stories and Squid Game Unleashed remain playable
Company Restructure
Ubisoft RedLynx eyes 60 job cuts
Helsinki studio will shift focus to mobile development
Jobs Roundup
October 2025’s Movers and Shakers: Unity's latest leadership shift, new Kokku execs, InnoGames names CEO, and more
Our regular roundup of the mobile games industry's movers and shakers
#Regulation
Cracked Open
US Google Play store opens up to alternative payments in boost for DTC
Injunction will run until November 1st, 2027
Age Verification
Google is rolling out age verification on the Play Store
The rollout will vary by region, with some areas exempt from verification requirements
Podcast | Episode 69
The big AWS crash and Google delays Android regulation | Week in Mobile Games podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode 69...
Market Status
CMA designates Apple and Google with strategic market status on mobile
The designation gives the CMA new powers to ensure fair competition across mobile ecosystems
More News
Market Growth
India’s games and interactive media sector projected to hit $7.7bn by 2030
Bitkraft Ventures report claims in-app purchases are set to grow sixfold within five years despite real-money gaming ban that had powered the market's rise
Service Disruption
Microsoft Azure global service outage impacts Minecraft and Xbox services worldwide
The Windows company said an accidental configuration change triggered the global disruption
Soft Launch
Fingersoft soft-launches Hill Climb Racing 3
Sequel to popular series is available on Google Play in the UK, Norway, Sweden and Finland
Milestone
Honor of Kings surpasses 260m global MAUs
The Chinese server now sees over 139 million DAUs, up from 100m in 2024
Milestone
Pokémon TCG Pocket surpasses 150m downloads in under a year
New anniversary updates aim to make card collecting more accessible
New Offerings
Monument Valley 3 returns to Android and iOS this December
The Garden of Life expansion launches the same day across mobile, console, and PC
Milestone
The Battle of Polytopia surpasses 25m downloads on mobile
The milestone follows steady updates including weekly challenges and new skins
Latest Videos
Podcasts
Eu Regulation
Podcast: The EU's Digital Fairness Act and what it means for the games industry explained
Arcanix CSO Oscar Clark and Flux Digital Policy director of policy and public affairs Celia Pontin delve into potential impact on free-to-play
Podcast | Episode 68
The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers revealed, and crisis in the EU's games industry | Week in Mobile Games podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode 68...
Podcast | Episode 67
The $55bn EA acquisition unpacked | Week in Mobile Games podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode 67...
Podcast
Gaming Meets Beauty: Inside Henkel’s first brand activation
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team and guests give you the state of play, here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode.